Sheriff: Girl dies after parents treat serious injuries with smoothies

CHRISTINE, Texas (Court TV) — A mother and stepfather are in custody after a 12-year-old girl died four days after she sustained “life-threatening injuries,” according to authorities.

On Monday, 36-year-old Denise Balbaneda called 911 to request medical assistance. EMS met Balbaneda en route and transported her daughter, Miranda Sipps, to a local hospital. Authorities said Sipps was “alive but unconscious” when EMS met up with them. The child died at the hospital almost two hours later.

Denise Balbaneda and Gerald Gonzales (Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office)

According to the Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office , an investigation revealed Sipps was injured Aug. 8. Balbaneda and her husband, 40-year-old Gerald Gonzales, are accused of failing to seek medical assistance, even though Sipps was “mentally and physically incapacitated and non-responsive.” Authorities said Balbaneda didn’t seek help until Sipps went into respiratory distress four days later.

At a news conference , Sheriff David Soward said the couple tried treating Sipps’ injuries with “a couple of remedies,” including smoothies and vitamins.

“Basically they thought they could nurse her back to health, and we do not think they wanted the attention that this would draw if the little girl was injured, which is strangely ironic, but that was their line of thinking.”

Soward said they believe Balbaneda drove Sipps from the home while waiting for EMS because they didn’t want law enforcement at the home.

Authorities did not detail how Sipps sustained her injuries, and they’re awaiting her autopsy report.

Balbaneda and Gonzales are charged with injury to a child causing serious bodily injury by omission, a first-degree felony. Their bond was set at $200,000 each.

Soward said they had responded to calls at the home in the past, but didn’t specify why. According to records obtained by KSAT , three calls were made in the past year, including two instances involving marks on a child.